(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to headgear such as ball caps and visors and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to caps and visors having a soft foam bill which can be folded and rolled into a compact form and unrolled returning to its original shape and appearance.
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
In today's market, typical headgear such as hard billed caps and visors do not allow a user to roll or fold the item into a compact unit for ease in storage. For example, a typical baseball cap has a hard bill and while the bill can be bent into an arch-like shape, the cap is not designed for folding and rolling up into a tight compact form during travel or storage. Also, there are various types of rubber visors that can be rolled up into a rolled or folded unit, but the material used in these type products is best described as "limp" and the products are made cheaply with no concern for quality and appearance over the life of the articles
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,983 to Landers, a sport cap is disclosed with a visor made of a thick-walled neoprene foam rubber. The visor is described as having form stability, soft and pliable and can be transported while crushed together and return to its original form when placed on the head of the user. While this sport cap with a visor of neoprene foam rubber may appear to be similar to the subject invention, it does not have the unique properties and advantages of the polyolefin resin foam incorporated into a soft bill of the headgear described herein.
While there are many types of visors and ball caps that would outwardly appear to be similar to the subject invention, none of the above mentioned prior art visors and caps provide the unique combination of structure and material selection for providing an ongoing attractive appearance with the ability to be folded and rolled into a compact unit for display, storage and travel purposes.